After a chance meeting at the Dargo cemetery four years ago, six of Michael and Margaret Hurley descendants decided it was time to have a family reunion.
All six were the fifth generation of descendants of Michael Hurley and Margaret Ryan who arrived in Australia in October 1856. They came from Ireland on a ship called the Startled Fawn which sailed from the Port of London on July 31, 1856.
They married in Wangaratta on June 9, 1858, and started a family, while working on the goldfields around Eldorado Flat, Indigo and Growlers Creek.
In mid-1860 they followed the gold to Grant where Michael acquired a team of pack horses and a bullock team and changed from miner to supplying the miners.
With a growing family of eight, he selected land on the Dargo Flat and built a five-room log home.
Michael died tragically at the age of 47 after falling from a horse on May 9, 1877. At the time of his death the children – two boys and five girls – were aged five to 19.
Both sons, Jeremiah and Daniel, were very community-minded serving as councillors for the Shire of Avon and being heavily involved in everything happening in the area.
All of the descendants still refer to Dargo as ‘home’ and many still visit regularly. Some of Michael and Margaret’s original selection remains in the Hurley name, while many others have been drawn back to the area with their growing families.
From the love of two people in 1858 to now, the Michael and Margaret Hurley story has grown to well over 1500 people of whom more than 300 attended the family reunion at Dargo last weekend.
The Dargo Public Hall was beautifully decorated with foliage generously supplied from the gardens of Dargo.
A magnificent meal of beef, lamb, potatoes and salads was devoured after the formal speeches. Desserts of cakes, slices and
fresh fruit salad were all made by family members.
The entertainment went will into the night and featured several family members. Jenny Rebecchi (fourth generation) started entertaining family members at the Dargo Hall when she was 13 years old and presented quite a few favourites.
Danielle Hurley (sixth generation) debuted on stage with her beautiful voice, Anthony Hurley and his daughter Grace presented wonderful duets and Justin Rebecchi
and Jackie Elliott kept the dancers on their feet.
On Sunday the breakfast crew were in action early with a bacon and egg feast followed by a visit to the museum, then the old school for a reminisce and then to the cemetery to pay respects to those who have gone before. The formalities concluded with a service at the Catholic Church.
Anyone who missed the reunion and would like to be involved in an updated family history book, can contact Jenny on mystique992@bigpond.com, or Narelle on narellehurley22@gmail.com.
